I used to have zero problems using or navigating this program, but starting back in the fall when they did a large update its been nothing but problems...

Too lazy to list all of the problems Ive had with it recently...just pretty much looking for an alternative at this point with the caveat that whatever is suggested I must be able to control from my iphone also ...

Same here. After being severely disappointed with their newer version, I managed to take it out, reinstalled the previous version, and promised never to update it until finding a suitable replacement to manage my music library. Still haven't found something I might find suitable for my needs and desires, so I am still looking. Meanwhile, I'm sticking to the previous version...

Thats' the issue with "so called " upgraded versions . I have found myself unhappy with a few different software upgrade from various different vendors. Therefore I have decided it is always prudent to keep an old version on a storage hard drive and-or also burn a copy of the file to disc just in case you don't like the new stuff and can not find the older versions on line anymore . This works for me until I find what I think is right .

Same thoughts from me. There used to be a Power Search that did it all but now it seems all about what they want to suggest we look at or buy rather than our own choice. I have upgraded each time so can I go back now? What was the version that we liked? Glynn

I have iTunes 10.6.3 on my computer at work, and it's enough like the old iTunes that I don't mind it. My wife has the newest version on her stuff (whatever version that is) and it is a frustrating pile of garbage. I think she HAD to upgrade for her phone, which is why I haven't changed in a long time!

Once I changed out a few preferences, the new iTunes seems pretty similar to most of the previous versions. I haven't found anything that catalogs as well as iTunes, at least for Mac. But, there are some players that do have cool features, like Amarra, which does FLAC and also seems to sound a bit better (and can use the iTunes interface), and Fidelia, which has dither, so the digital volume control doesn't degrade the sound as much.

Digital volume controls are pretty much attenuators in the digital domain. As such, when you have them below fully on, they reduce the bit depth. An issue with that is that you lose resolution on the lower end of the audible range. The way that you get around it is with the addition of dither, which is decorrelated noise. It's a little involved to get into here, but the end result is that dither, while it is noise, like tape hiss in a way, actually improves the resolution of the sound when the bit depth is reduced. Bob Katz described how it works best in his book, Mastering Audio, The Art and Science. Fidelia has licensed an excellent dither algorithm so their digital volume knob is less destructive than iTunes or other playback devices. They also have an excellent sample rate converter.